\»L 




STATE OF NEVADA 



BIENNIAL REPORT 



OF THE 



Elko County Dry Farm 



lj 



1911=1912 



GORDON H. TRUE, 
A. W. HESSON, 
GEO. M. BOWER, 

Board of Control 




State Printing Office 



CARSON CITY. NEVADA 



1913 



Joe Farnsworth. Superintendent 



Diiziic: 



\ 



STATE OF NEVADA /i^..c^\Wv») .4. 



BIENNIAL REPORT 



OF THE 



Elko County Dry Farm 



1911=1912 



GORDON H. TRUE, 
A. W. HESSON, 
GEO. M. BOWER, 

Board of Control 




CARSON CITY, NEVADA 

State Printing Office . . . Joe Parnswoktii. Superintendent 

1913 



./Va 




JAN 2 191^ 



LETTER OF TRANSMIHAL 



Office of the Board of Control 

State Agricultural Experiment Dry Farm, 

Elko, Nevada, December 31, 1912. 

His Excellency, Tasker L. Oddie, Governor of Nevada. 

Dear Sir: Herewith is submitted the report of tlie Board of Control 
of the State Agricultural Experimient Dry Farm, located at Pleasant Val- 
ley, Elko County, Nevada, for the years 1911 and 1912. 

Respectfully, 

A. W. HESSON, 

Chairman . 



BOARD OF CONTROL, ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 



A. W. Hesson, Chairman Elko 

Geo. M. Bower Lamoille 

Gordon H. Tkve, Secretary Eeno 



Walfried SoHL'siAy; , Foreman of Far)ii Blaine, Nevada 



BIENNIAL REPORT 



The State Agricultural Experiment Dry Farm was established by Act 
of the Legislature in 1909. The site was selected by a committee of 
Elko County farmers and purchased by that county and title given to 
the State. The property was turned over by the Governor to the 
Agricultural Experiment Station for management in June, 1910, and in 
the spring of the following year came under the management of the 
present Board of Control. Less than half of the appropriation for the 
first biennial term was spent. Only one team had been bought, no new 
buildings had been erected and but sixty acres of new land cleared. It 
has therefore been necessary to erect buildings, buy additional teams and 
some new machinery that might have been purchased with that part of 
the appropriation which was turned back to the State. This fact seemed 
to the State Board of Examiners to justify them in the allowance of an 
$1,800 deficit in the account for 1912, all of which has not been used. 

Of the total area of the ranch probably 130 acres are now under cul- 
tivation and all the rest cleared. The only needed expenditures for 
equipment are for a small thresher with power, and a small building 
suitable for office and seed laboratory. The board estimates that the 
cost of running the work for two years including these expenditures for 
new equipment will be $8,000, a thousand dollars a year less than the 
previous appropriations. 

The State Dry Farm justifies continued maintenance for the following 
reasons : 

1. It is a practical demonstration of what can be done by scientific 
agriculture in localities where the precipitation is 11 to 15 inches. 

2. It has just arrived at 'the stage where the best results may be 
looked for. It has taken reasonable time to work up to this condition. 

3. It can now be a center for distribution of good seed. With a 
convenient little thresher outfit added to the present equipment, pure 
seed of superior quality would be available for Nevada's farmers. 

4. Many live problems in dry farming remain yet to be solved, 
man}' possibilities to be demonstrated. One or two might be men- 
tioned — orchard experiment, alfalfa-seed growing, drought-resistant 
grass tests, and stock maintenance. 

REVIEW FOR 1911 

During the year 1911 the experiments were all in the field of spring 
crops. In the autumn of 1910 the condition of the ground did not admit 
of fall seeding, and not until the late autumn rains had made it prac- 
ticable was any fall ploughing attempted. Therefore, while fall seeding 
is generally the pr^ictice in dry farm work, we were unable to do any- 
thing in this field of experiment during 1911. 

The precipitation during 1911 was as follows: 



6 REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 

Precipitation 

January 2.31 inches 

February 1.17 inches 

March 1-45 inches 

April 2.14 inches 

May 1-32 inches 

June .88 inches 

July •- .02 inches 

Aug-ust -00 inches 

September .V8 inches 

October -93 inches 

November .24 inches 

December -54 inches 

Total 11.78 inches 

This record shows that the largest part of the precipitation occurred 
during the first five months of the year, furnishing a particuhirly good 
condition for spring germination. This was desirable where the ground 
had not been summer fallowed during the previous year. On the other 
hand, the small amount of precipitation after the second of June resulted 
in a severe test of the drought-resistant qualities of the crops during the 
summer months. Little rain fell during June, July, August, and Sep- 
tember. Not until September 30 and October 1, when 0.98 inches fell, 
was there a rain to amount to much, and then it was too late to be of 

much use. 

Crops 

Following is a report of the spring-sown crops of 1911 : 

White Australian wheat (90 pounds per acre) 11.70 bushels per acre 

White Australian wheat (45 pounds per acre) 11.03 bushels per acre 

Sixty-Day oats (64 pounds per acre) 29.00 bushels per acre 

Sixty-Day oats (40 pounds per acre) 29.50 bushels per acre 

Kubanka wheat (90 pounds per acre) 14.90 bushels per acre 

Kubanka wheat (45 pounds per acre) 14.10 bushels per acre 

Minnis oats (64 pounds per acre) ^ 27.70 bushels per acre 

Minnis oats (40 pounds per acre) 23.70 bushels per acre 

Beardless barley (90 pounds per acre) 27.70 bushels per acre 

Beai-dless barley (60 pounds per acre) 24.20 bushels per acre 

Spring- rye (84 pounds per acre) 13.40 bushels per acre 

Spring rye (42 pounds per acre) 11.40 bushels per acre 

In every instance but one heavier seeding resulted in the greater yield. 
Of course there is a wide difference in the amounts used and it may be 
that some intermediate quantity of seed per acre would do better than 
either. It must also be stated that the more heavily seedetl plots were 
subjected to more cultivation, resulting in loss of plants, it is true, but 
also in conservation of soil moisture. 

A number of varieties, principally root crops, were planted in soil too 
dry, to secure germination in some cases, and in others to secure favor- 
able growth. They were: 

Parsnip — White Lisbon. ' Millet — Foxtail. 

Parsnip — Improved Long Smooth. Millet — Broomcorn. 

Carrot — Large White Belgian. Millet — Barnyard. 

Carrot — Improved Long Orange. Millet — Pearl. 

Carrot— New Long Lemon Stump. White Kaffir Corn. 

Beet — Blood Turnip. Standard Broom Corn. 

Beet — Imperial Sugar. Dwarf Broom Corn. 

Beet — Klein Wanzleben. Dhoura Broom Corn. 

Mangel— Gatepost. Yellow Milo Maize. 

Mangel — Jumbo. 



REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 7 

Australian White Flint corn and Swadley corn were eaten down by 
rabbits. 

Three varieties of onions, New Commercial, White Welsh, and White 
Bartletta, came along fairly well. However, of the intertilled crops only 
potatoes and peas proved satisfactory. Seven varieties of potatoes were 
tested, yieldinp^ in the order given : 

Peerless 84.21 bushels per acre 

Burbank ; 81.83 bushels per acre 

Dalmeny Challenge 78.60 bushels per acre 

Peachblow 72.05 bushels per acre 

Mammoth Pearl 71.11 bushels per acre 

Early Red 59.90 bushels per acre 

Blue Victor 54.27 bushels per acre 

Two varieties of peas were tested and yielded as follows: 

Golden Vine Field 14.8 bushels per acre 

Green Canada Field 17.8 bushels per acre 

Fall Seeding 

The area to be fall seeded had not been summer fallowed, as other 
work was pressing; new ground had to be cleared, fencing and building 
demanded attention and a war must be maintained against the small 
animals. Our seeding took place in September and all the seed was 
planted by October 1. All was planted at a depth of from five to six 
inches, the reason being that it appeared necessary to plant at that depth 
to reach moisture and secure germination. The following grains were 
sown : 

Wheat— Turkey Red, 1656, 1559, White Australian. 

Emmer — Black Winter. 

Spelt. 

Einkorn. 

Oats— Winter Turf. 

Rye— No. 1, No. 13. 

Barley — Tennessee Winter. 
Comment upon the results obtained and upon the work done in 1911 
will be found later in conjunction with remarks upon the experiences of 
1912. 

REVIEW FOR 1912 

In 1912 the precipitation for the year was as follows: 

Precipitation 

January . 1.21 inches 

February .49 inches 

March 2.63 inches 

April . 3.45 inches 

May , 1.47 inches 

June-. 1 .75 inches 

July. 1.39 inches 

August .22 inches 

September .00 inches 

October 3.00 inches 

November 1.02 inches 

December (10th) .06 inches 

Total 15.69 inches 

As in 1911 the first five months furnished a large part of the total pre- 
cipitation l)ut the preponderance was not nearly so great as in the year 
previous. It is well that we call attention to certain conditions favorable 



8 REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 

to spring crops. The autumn precipitation in 1911 had been scanty. 
Up to April 1 the total precipitation for 1912 was 4.33 inches, not heavy 
it is true, but enough to secure good spring germination. In April we 
had the heavy precipitation of 3.45 inches, included in which were three 
rains of about one-half inch each. Following this, May gave us an 
encouraging amount of precipitation including three good rains. In 
June the fall was less, but July gave an unusual amount of rain for that 
time of the year. Coming as it did on July 18, the heavy rain of 1.2 
inches furnished a condition favorable to complete maturity. In con- 
clusion, 1912 handed down another favor in the unusual precipitation of 
October and November, which, as we had secured an early fall seeding, 
gave us a strong fall growth. 

Spring-Sown Crops 
This seed was planted on land that had not been summer fallowed 
during the past year. However, the winter precipitation gave us suf- 
ficient moisture for spring germination, as indicated in the previous sub- 
division. The spring crops gave splendid results as will be seen in the 
following detailed report. 

1. Following is a list of crops which made a good start, and promised 
well, but which were practically destroyed by the frost of September 5: 

Earlv Amber Sugar Cane. 

White Kaffir Corn. 

Broom Corn — Evergreen. 

Broom Corn — Dwarf. 

Broom Corn — Standard. 

Field Corn — Swadley. 

Field Corn — Imp. Learning. 

Field Corn — Pride of the North. 

Field Corn— Australian White Flint. 

Field Corn — Colorado Yellow Dent. 

Crops of this class constitute more or less of a gamble in this region 
of early frosts. The chief hope is in securing early varieties and, if pos- 
sible, developing from these some early and hardy strains. For the silo 
we see no reason why corn should not be grown profitably, necessitating 
particularly early cutting, but for grain production the hope lies in future 
development. As an off-hand suggestion we would recommend the earliest 
Flints for most promising experiment. 

In this class the following secured a poor stand and made poor growth; 
this year would not indicate any durability on the part of these crops. 
They were: Brown Dhoura, Jerusalem Corn, Red Kaffir Corn, Shallu. 

2. We had good success with millets. The stand was good as a 
rule, the growth was strong and the yield, considering the percentage 
of seed, was satisfactory. The millets were sown in rows, admitting of 
cultivation, a condition scarcely imperative on summer-fallowed ground. 
The comparative yields given below are not always indicative of com- 
parative value from a feed standpoint. However, the hardiness, the 
rapid growth, and the high food-value of the millets should make almost 
all of the varieties profitable. This year the sample sown as Barnyard 
millet more than doubled most of the others in yield. Following is the 
report in detail: 



^^^&:<f£i 












L 



W J^'"^'^* Aflfc ^\s^ 





Canada Field Peas 



-- — _- ««fc.«jaL 



■^2?^*'*^'*>^^^^^«^^ 




The two rows ofFlax on the left from seed grown on the Elko Dry Farm the 
previous year. The next two rows from the same parent seed of the two 
rows on the left. Showing- the advantage of planting seed grown under 
dry farm conditions. 



REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 9 

Millet— Barnyard 7,514 pounds hay per acre 

Millet— Broom Corn 4,984 pounds hay per acre 

Millet— Common 3,600 pounds hay per acre 

Millet— Golden 3,600 pounds hay per acre 

Millet— Siberian 3,200 pounds hay per acre 

Millet— Hungarian 3,200 pounds hay peracre 

Millet— Foxtail Good yield, no definite record 

Millet— Hog Splendid yield, saved for seed 

Millet— Japanese Good stand, but growth poor 

Millet— Pearl Seed did not germinate 

3. Peas and beans: 

Green Canada Field 17.2 bushels peracre 

Golden Vine -_14.3 bushels per acre 

Earliest of All (garden) 14 pounds from 246-foot row 

Spring Vetch Excellent stand; no definite report as to yield 

Cow peas — Whipoorwill Seed did not germinate 

Early Soja bean Seed did not germinate 

In a country where hogs are raised on alfalfa pasture the necessity for 
some crop, furnishing food for good finish ration, is apparent. Noth- 
ing better than field peas can be found, as pea-fed pork is more and 
more being sold at a substantial premium. Such being the case it is 
encouraging to find tliat hardy varieties of field peas can be grown with 
profit, by dry farming, in Nevada. 

Spring vetch and winter vetch form valuable constituents for forage 
crops. A profitable combination is winter vetch and winter rj^e sown 
for green feed the following season . 

Cow peas and Soja beans have proven valuable crops in certain coun- 
tries. Our failure was due to poor seed, probably old. 

4. Carrots, parsnips, onions, and potatoes: 

Carrot — New Long Lemon 25.960 pounds per acre 

Carrot — Improved Long Orange 13,865 pounds per acre 

Parsnips — White Lisbon 6,654 pounds per acre 

Onion — Prizetaker Left in ground until next year 

Potato — Dalmeny Challenge 154.5 bushels peracre 

Potato — Burbank 149.9 bushels per acre 

Potato — Colorado Pearl 128.1 bushels peracre 

Potato— Mammoth Pearl 127.4 bushels per acre 

Potato — Peerless 119.6 bushels per acre 

Potato — Blue Victor 116.2 bushels per acre 

Potato — Early Red ■ - 115.4 bushels peracre 

The potatoes were planted in rows three feet apart. In the row the 
hills stood two feet apart. The method of planting was by spade — a 
spade was thrust about 8 inches into the soil; by bending the spade 
over without withdrawing it opportunity was given to drop in the pota- 
toes. Wben the spade was withdrawn the seed lay in moist soil at a 
proper depth. The increase in yield for 1912 was probably due to 
increase in precipitation and possibly to better conditions of the soil. 
Potatoes planted in soil previously summer fallowed, thus conserving 
moisture, should do better. 

The quality of these potatoes, while varying with the variety, was uni- 
formly excellent. In size the potatoes were what we may call "of good 
cooking size" not so large as those grown under irrigation, but for all 
practical purposes the size and quality left room for little fault-finding. 

5. The following crops came up and made good promise but were 
eaten down by rabbits: 



10 REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 

Clover — White Dutch Fancy. Alfalfa — Provence. 
Clover — Mammoth Sapling. Alfalfa — Kansas. 

Clover — Alsike. Alfalfa — Western. 

Clover — White Bokhara. Alfalfa — Grimm. 

Clover — Red . Alfalfa — Turkestan . 

Alfalfa — Sand Lucerne. 

The following were sown, but the seed did not germinate: 
Clover — Japan. Grass — Orchard. 

Clover — Burr. Grass — Red Top. 

Clover — Esparsetto. Grass — Awnless Brome. 

Clover — Crimson . 

The failure of these to germinate must have been due to lack of mois- 
ture, as it is not likely that all the seed was bad. The rabbits furnish a 
constant menace to small plots of young clover. 

6. Wheat, oats, barley, and flax: 

Wheat — Blue Stem 25.2 bushels per acre. 60.3 pounds per bushel 

Wheat — Pedigreed Defiance 21.5 bushels per acre, 62.5 pounds per bushel 

Wheat — Kubanka 17.2 bushels per acre, 63,7 pounds per bushel 

Oats — Sixty- Day 27,3 pounds per bushel 

Oats — Minnis 21.2 pounds per bushel 

Rye 12.2 pounds per bushel 

Barley — Beardless 22.9 bushels per acre, 48 pounds per bushel 

Flax Excellent stand, first-class seed 

Of the Defiance wheat much good can be said. Not only was the 
stand uniform and the growth vigorous, but the plants indicated quality; 
the heads were long, spikelets well filled, and the plants many-stooled. 
The grain when threshed bore out the promise in the field. It was of 
a light and transparent amber, of good size, uniform and pronounced by 
millers to be of the highest flour producing type. It is the intention to 
multiply this grain. Kubanka was a very close second; but Blue Stem, 
while not poor, did not show the quality of the other two. 

The Beardless barley was of excellent quality and yielded well. Exam- 
ined in the sack the oats do not impress one very favorably, being light 
and apparently of large hull percentage. 

The flax gave good returns, the seed being of the best quality. It may 
prove a paying crop. 

Fall-Sown, Crops 

Of these crops only three gave yields: 

Wheat — Turkey Red 23.2 bushels per acre, 64.1 pounds per bushel 

Rye — No. 1 11.1 bushels per acre, 64.1 pounds per bushel 

Rye — No. 13 11.0 bushels per acre, 64.1 pounds per bushel 

The following gave poor returns, the stand being decidedly thin: 
Oats — Winter Turf. Barley — Tennessee Winter. 

Wheat — 1656. Emmer — Black Winter. 

Wheat— 1559. Spelt. 

Wheat — White Australian. Einkorn. 

The consideration of this extensive failure of the crop sown in the fall 
of 1911 leads to some interesting pos.sibilities. Probably Ave had better 
consider them separately: 

(a) It will be remembered that the precipitation during the summer 
of 1911 was light, and that, while there was a fair amount during the 
winter of 1911, there had been no summer fallow to conserve this mois- 
ture. Consequently the seed sown that fall must have fallen in dry places ; 



REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 11 

nor could there have been much soil moisture below to be brought up by 
packing. 

(b) At the Dry Farm Congress at Leth bridge it was the consensus of 
opinion that grain should not be planted at a greater depth than three 
inches. Below that was styled as below the normal growth level. The 
autumn sown grain we are discussing was planted at from five to six 
inches. This is another possible cause of failure. 

(c) From August 15 to September 1 is about the best time to sow fall 
crops. The crop of the fall of 1911 was later than this, some of it much 
later. Even if germination did take place it was too late to secure the 
best stand to face the hardships of an Elko winter. 

We feel that the experience was a good one in that it has demon- 
strated conclusively the necessity for conservation of soil moisture, for 
early sowing, and for sowing at a normal depth. It may be stated that 
little of the grain actually appeared above ground so that we may conclude 
that much of it failed to germinate. A little may have failed to winter 
over. Probably a combination of the three conditions caused the crop 
failure. 

The Turkey Red winter wheat was of outstanding quality showing 
marked hardness and fine color. 

Fall Seeding 

1. Small quantities of alfalfa seed, known to have been produced 
under adverse conditions, were sown. This seed did not come up. It 
should be stated that this was for demonstration purposes and to decide 
the question as to fall seeding of alfalfa under dry-farm conditions. The 
eight samples were from plants as hardy as could be found but the seed 
did not respond to fall planting — the explantion is probably that suf- 
ficient moisture was not available. 

2. Wheats were sown under a variety of conditions: 

(a) Turkey Red— Sown August 27, in duplicate plots; sown 30, 45, 

60, 75 and 90 pounds per acre. Up September 9. 

(b) Turkey Red — Dry-farm seed; duplicate plots as in (a). 

(c) Turkey Red— Dry-farm seed; 5 acres, 45 pounds per acre; sown 

September 5. Up September 16. 

(d) Turkey Red— Not dry-farm seed; % acre, 45 pounds to acre. 

(e) Kubanka— Duplicate plots; sown 30, 45 and 60 pounds per 

acre, lip Septeml)er 9. 

(f) Kubanka— Duplicate plots; sown 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 pounds 

per acre. 

(g) White Australian— Duplicate plots; sown 30 and 45 pounds. Up 

September 5. 

(h) White Australian— Dry farm seed; duplicate plots, sown 45, 60 
and 75 pounds per acre. 

(i) Silver King— Duplicate plots; sown 30, 45 and 60 pounds per 
acre. Up September 13. 

(j) Plots of Australian Winter wheats were sown on September 13. 
These have made a very favorable fall growth. The varieties 
were Bobs, Yandilla King, Cedar, and Federation. 

(k) Four varieties of winter wheats. Eastern seed, were sown on Sep- 
tember 26. - These were Turkey Red, Michigan Amber, Khar- 
kov, and Dawson's Golden Chaff. The seeding was pretty late, 
but they may come ahead notwithstanding. 



]2 REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 

3. Tests similar to those in 2 were made with other grains. 

(a) Tennessee Winter Barley — Duplicate plots; sown 30, 45, 60, 75, 

and 90 pounds per acre. Up September 9. 

(b) Tennessee Winter Barley — Dry-farm seed; duplicate plots; sown 

72, 96, and 108 pounds per acre. 

(c) Rye No. 1 — Duplicate plots; sown 42 and 56 pounds per acre; 

sown August 27. Up September 2. 

(d) Rye No. 3 — Duplicate plots; sown 42 and 56 pounds per acre; 

sown August 27. Up September 2. 

(e) Rye and Winter Vetch — Duplicate plots; sown 45 and 90 pounds 

per acre. 

(f) Red Rust Proof Oats — Duplicate plots; sown 30, 45, and 60 pounds 

per acre. 

(g) Emmer, Spelt, Einkorn — Duplicate plots; sown 45 pounds per 

acre. 
The most of this fall seeding has been done in duplicate. A uniform 
depth of three inches has been maintained in seeding. In some cases 
the crop is known to be a spring one and the change is by way of experi- 
ment, notably in the case of Kubanka wheat. It will be noted that the 
seeding was practically all before September 15. A visit in the early fall 
showed a splendid autumn stand and later reports have recorded good 
progress. Conditions being normal, the crop sown in the fall of 1912 
should make a satisfactory showing in 1913. 

COMMENT 

1. The outstanding feature of the dry-farm produce from the Nevada 
State Dry Farm has been extra quality. Samples of the grain, in sheaf 
and threshed, have been sent to different places, and in all cases their 
quality has excited much favorable comment. Yields may not be as 
bulky as under irrigation conditions, but quality is the factor that more 
than redeems lack of yield. It cannot but have great influence on com- 
mercial value of yield. 

2. The work at Elko has been much hampered by squirrels, rabbits 
and birds. In one year (1911) over 2,000 ground squirrels were trapped 
and killed. It has been recorded that the rabl)its keep the clover plots 
cropped to the ground. The birds rob the sheaves of grain and so 
materially reduce the yield, a bitter disappointment to the interested 
experimenter. 

3. The crying need of the station is for a separator outfit. The 
plots mature irregularly and should be threshed as soon as they are 
mature, in order to reduce losses to a minimum. Under present condi- 
tions the produce from each plot is stacked separately to await the arri- 
val of a large custom thresher. During the long wait the winds blow 
the loose straw and heads about and mix them up, and the conscien- 
tious experimenter must remove from three to six inches of debris from 
l)etween the stacks at time of threshing. This reduces the yield report, 
already affected by inroads of the birds; besides there is always the 
danger of mixing varieties, to avoid which is the first commandment to 
the field husbandman. 

CULTURAL METHODS 
Clearing the Land of Sagebrush 

In the preparation of sagebrush land the most diflicult and expensive 
operation is that of removing the brush. When possible this is most 



REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 13 

easily accomplished by burning. By this process it is possible to remove 
the brush from several acres a day Avhen the wind is favorable. When 
done by hand one-half an acre a day is the average work of one man. 
When the brush is not thick and does not grow very high, the ground 
may be cleared sufficiently for plowing by railing the brush. This is a 
rapid method of removing the brush, but does not prove satisfactory 
where the brush is thick and high. The sagebrush grubbers or machines 
give very good satisfaction when sufficient power can be applied; how- 
ever, in the thick high brush they do not work well unless operated with 
an engine. 

At Elko after the nearly cleared land was plowed the sagebrush roots 
were removed immediately — that is, the same day — with spring plowing, 
since it was impossible to properly pack the soil that contained these roots. 
For this purpose the new alfalfa cultivator proved a very useful imple- 
ment, especially with large roots. Where the roots were small and 
easily separated from the soil, the common smoothing-harrow or hay- 
rake was used. Fall-plowed ground that was cleared of roots was left in 
the rough condition. In the spring the disk harrow will be used as soon 
as the ground can be worked, and this followed immediately by the 
smoothing harrow. 

Plowing 

The newly cleared ground was plowed to a depth of eight or ten inches. 
This brought all sagebrush roots to the surface and also provided a reser- 
voir deep enough to catch all of the rainfall. Deep plowing is one of 
the most essential factors in preparing the seed-bed, and generally the 
one that is neglected by the farmer. Without a deep seed-bed it is diffi- 
cult to store all of the water from the rain and snow. 

In this State it is seldom possible to plow in early fall, and if not done 
in October, November, or December, after the first heavy rains, it must be 
postponed until early spring. The late fall plowing is strongly recom- 
mended since the greater portion of the precipitation comes during the 
winter months, and in a rough condition the plowed ground is able to 
catch practically all of the rainfall. 

Plowing for Summer Fallow 
When the land is plowed in the spring for summer fallow, no more 
ground was plowed in a day than could be disked, packed, and harrowed 
the same day. Very little moisture can be depended upon during the 
summer and early fall, and every possible precaution must be taken to 
retain as much moisture as possible for starting the fall-seeded crop. The 
summer-fallowed land at the station which is to be used for spring grains 
was plowed up again in the fall in order to catch all of the winter rain- 
fall, and in the spring it will be worked down in suitable condition for 

see(^i"^- Leveling 

An important point, not often recognized by dry-farmers, is the 
advisability, we might say the necessity, of leveling small inequalities in 
the surface of the field, so that the harrow in passing over may be able 
to scratch the entire surface and smooth over every square inch of the 
field. An ordinary leveler or drag, such a one as would be used under 
irrigation conditions for leveling purposes, will meet all requirements. 

Time of Seeding 
The time of seeding spring grains in this State will vary somewhat 
with the year and the locality. With an early spring the seeding may 



14 REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 

be done some time in March, but it should never be postponed until 
after the middle of April, since grain planted after this period is apt to 
be checked in growth by drouth before the roots are well established in the 
soil. It is a general plan to have all grain seeded by the first of April. 
The time to sow fall grain will vary slightly with the locality, but the 
best results are obtained when the grain is sown before September 15. 

Method of Seeding 

The single-disk drill is the implement used for seeding. It distributes 
the grain uniformly at a uniform depth and has a greater penetration 
than the double-disk drill or the shoe drills. 

Cultivation 

Considerable cultivation is necessary for either spring or winter grains 
grown in this State. This is especially important during the early growth 
of the crop. The spring grains grown at the farm were given six cultiva- 
tions with the smoothing harrow. Two of these cultivations were after 
moderately heavy rains and the others followed light rainfalls, each of 
which was sufficient to form a crust on the surface. The last cultivation 
was given when the plants were from ten to twelve inches high. Of 
course, some of the grain was torn out and some almost flattened to the 
ground, but the latter straightened up perfectly in a few days with little or 
no injury. Thorough cultivation more than compensates for the small 
amount of moisture removed by the young plants that are pulled out in 
cultivating. There is no question but that flattening grain that is ten to 
twelve inches high destroys some of the plants, but this can be overcome 
by the use of a smoothing cultivator instead of the common smoothing 
harrow. This implement is so constructed that it will not bend the grain 

when cultivated . 

Alternate Cropping and Fallowing 

Since the annual rainfall in most sections of the State is relatively 
small, it seems possible to grow crops on a given field only on alternate 
years, fallowing the ground when it is not cropped. Land that is fal- 
lowed must be kept free from weeds, for if allowed to grow they exhaust 
the soil of practically as much moisture as a grain crop, and in this way 
the fallow is not effective. It is a difficult task to keep some of the 
newly broken sagebrush land free from the tar- weed. This weed grows 
from six to twenty-four inches high, spreads by means of underground 
stems, and it is thus very difficult to completely eradicate. New plants 
shoot up from the underground stems within a short time after they 
have been cut off near the surface of the ground. Their roots penetrate 
the soil to a great depth and are thus able to keep the plants supplied 
with moisture. The best means of removing the tar-weed is by careful 
and continuous cultivation. This is probably best accomplished by a 
knife weeder, which consists of a series of horizontal knives that run 
beneath the surface of the ground and cut the roots without bringing 

any moist soil to the surface. 

ORCHARD 

The young orchard, which had almost l)een annihilated by cattle at 
the time of the accession of the property, has, as a result of care and 
pruning, made very satisfactory growth. The past season Ben Davis and 
Yellow Transparent apple trees bore fruit of high quality for the varieties. 
Bartlett pears were in bearing and two trees each of Green Gage plums 
and cherries were loaded with fruit, the plums being of the finest quality. 



REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 15 

Other Trees 
Seed of White Pine, Southern Pine, Northern Pitch Pine, Tamarack 
Pine, Austrian Pine, Island Pine, Pitch Pine, and Sugar Pine were 
planted. Of these varieties some of the Island Pine, Austrian Pine, and 
Pitch Pine germinated and made a growth of four to six inches. 

ECHOES FROM THE DRY FARM CONGRESS AT LETHBRIDGE. 1912 

Crops 

Turkey Red seems to be the favorite winter wheat for dry-farming. It 

should be sown on summer-fallowed land, three pecks to the acre. Of 

the spring wheat, Durum type succeeds best and may be sown on fallow 

of the previous year, four pecks to the acre. Other early spring varieties 

do well when once established. Winter rye is a pretty sure crop. Sow 

five or six pecks to the acre. The following quantities of other grains 

may be sown : Spelt, five pecks; oats, four pecks; flax, two pecks; peas, 

five pecks ; alfalfa, six pounds. Whenever practicable, drill sowing should 

be followed. 

Cultivation 

The aim should be to break the sod when it has the largest amount of 
moisture in it, say up to June 1. It may then be broken deeply and 
with a minimum of power. Breaking when the soil is dry calls for 
increase in the power used and generally causes a decrease in production. 
Besides there is smaller chance of sod decay. Plowing should be at least 
six inches deep, the succeeding plowings being a little deeper. Depth 
varies in different areas, but the greatest danger lies in plowing too shal- 
low. After plowing one cannot have too much surface cultivation of the 
fallow land to keep down weeds and hold the moisture. Harrow the 
ground quickly after plowing and after every considerable rain. When 
the next spring opens, get on the ground early and harrow to prevent 
the loss of moisture. There is little gain from using a packer on fall- 
cultivated land. This treatment does not tend to catch the maximum 
of water and hold it, and in almost every case fall and winter precipita- 
tion will take care of the packing end of the problem. 

Under dry-farm conditions the crop should be harrowed at least 
twice between sprouting and harvesting of the grain, the first just after 
the grain begins to show, unless in the case of alfalfa or flax, when the 
young plants should be a few inches high. 

Rotation 

This seems to be largely in the experimental stage and the rules vary 
with the amount of precipitation. Summer fallow has the first place, 
followed by winter wheat or other winter crop. It is then possible, by 
disking alone, to follow this crop by a crop of flax. One grain crop 
should not, as a rule, follow another grain crop immediately. The fre- 
quency of fallowing will be determined by the amount of precipitation 
available, and the necessity for weed eradication. There should be a 
definite aim to build up the humus content of the soil. 

Stock 
Many think that dry farming should include stock raising. This 
means that much of what is taken from the soil can be returned to it 
and the soil produces utilized right on the farm. One experiment is 
the growth of soiling crops for stock maintenance on the dry farm. The 
manipulation of manure from the stock is also an important question. 



16 REPORT OF ELKO COUNTY DRY FARM 

Seed 

It was admitted by all that the seed grown under dry-farm conditions 

was of the best quality and was suitable for seed purposes when carried 

to more humid countries. Also the seed thus grown was bound to be 

free from weeds, due to the cultivation necessarily practiced. Much is 

still problematical as to the best method of growing alfalfa in subhumid 

climates. 

IMPORTANCE TO NEVADA 

No State, no province should be as vitally interested as Nevada in the 
problem of dry-farming. Nevada has a large percentage of her tillable 
area depending on some kind of dry-farming methods for success. It is 
advisable, without doubt, that prospective settlers on dry-farm areas 
should proceed Avith caution and that they should be careful about 
accepting too sweeping statements ; but this only goes to prove the neces- 
sity for more light for an intelligent investigation of the State's possi- 
bilities. Given that the farmer is sure of the feasibility of a certain 
prospect, it is his duty to study the latest methods of soil culture, and 
it is the duty of the State to help him. Nor is soil culture the only 
thing — a leading proposition is to know the best varieties to sow, and 
where to get these varieties. 

FINANCIAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL OF THE STATE 
AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT DRY FARM, ELKO, NEVADA 

Disbursements for 1911 

Salary, W. Sohlmdn, foreman $1,200.00 

Wages, extra help 511.00 

Board of help 310.90 

Board of Control, salary for 9 months : 180.00 

Seeds 60.26 

Wire, building telephone line 10.98 

Weather instruments 11.93 

Surveying 19.00 

Telephone 23.15 

Horses (4) 700.00 

Harness 114.40 

Cows (2) J 1.50.00 

Implements 127.. 50 

Incidental hardware 78.25 

Threshing 1911 crop 49.65 

Merchandise, Reinhard Company 25,92 

New barn (40x60 with basement) 2,237.06 

New machine shed (20x60, shop 10x12) 366.25 

Posts for fence 62.50 

Team and auto hire for 1911 108.00 

Hay, 45,915 pounds 275.49 

Oats, 16,510 pounds 272,41 

Traveling expenses (G.H.True) 64.88 

Stage, hauling packages, R. Streeter 7.00 

Stationery 15.05 

Smithing 32.65 

Old bill from 1910, Utah Implement Company 122.70 

$7,137.33 

Disbursements for 1912 

Salary, W. Sohlman, foreman $1,200.00 

Wages, hired help 597.35 

Board of help 323.00 

Seeds 106.72 

Hay for farm 301.75 

Travel, livery hire ' 158,80 

Implements, etc. .. 313.70 

Hay and grain 221.67 

Smithing 45.00 

Telephone 34,05 

Stage freight 16.85 

Threshing crop of 1912 129.75 

Expenses of Board of Control 240.00 

Oneteam 504.00 

4,192.64 

$n.329.97 

Outstanding bills, approximated, not presented 280.0 

Q $11,609.97 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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